Printer including support member for supporting modular pagewidth printhead
View Patent ↗A printer includes at least one pagewidth print assembly, the assembly including a support member configured to be secured within the pagewidth printhead assembly so as to support a modular pagewidth printhead formed from one or more silicon structures. The support member comprises an outer laminated shell portion, and a core portion, at least partially enclosed and restrained by the shell portion. The shell portion and the printhead have substantially the same effective coefficient of thermal expansion.
1. A printer including at least one pagewidth print assembly, the assembly including a support member configured to be secured within the pagewidth printhead assembly so as to support a modular pagewidth printhead formed from one or more silicon structures, the support member comprising:
an outer laminated shell portion; and
a core portion, at least partially enclosed and restrained by the shell portion,
wherein the shell portion and the printhead have substantially the same effective coefficient of thermal expansion.
2. A printer according to claim 1 , wherein:
the pagewidth printhead is stationary and generally as long as the page width.
3. A printer according to claim 1 , wherein:
the core portion has formed in it one or more ink reservoirs which collectively lead to one or more printhead micro mouldings which are carried by the core.
4. A printer according to claim 1 , wherein:
the laminated shell portion is formed from at least three metals laminated together, the laminate having inner and outer layers which have the same coefficient of thermal expansion.
5. A printer according to claim 1 , wherein:
the printhead is fabricated from silicon and constructed using micro electromechanical techniques.
6. A printer according to claim 1 , wherein:
the core portion is an extrusion in which is formed separate ink reservoirs.
7. A printer according to claim 2 , wherein:
the shell portion is a laminated structure having an odd number of longitudinally extending continuous layers of at least two different metals wherein at least some of the layers are in a symmetrical arrangement.
8. A printer according to claim 1 , wherein:
the modular printhead comprises MEMS modules which are positioned end to end along the core.
9. A printer according to claim 1 , wherein:
the laminated shell portion comprises two or more different materials, each having a different coefficient of thermal expansion.
10. A printer according to claim 9 , wherein:
at least two materials have coefficients of expansion which are different than the coefficient of expansion of silicon.
11. A printer according to claim 10 , wherein:
the laminated shell portion comprises outer layers of invar.
12. A printer according to claim 1 , wherein:
the shell portion has a composite coefficient of expansion generally equal to the coefficient of expansion silicon.
13. A printer according to claim 8 , wherein:
each module further comprises ink nozzles, chambers and actuators.